SMITH, STEVEN R. — The Anchorite
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Verträumtes "Folk-Drone" Album des THUJA und HALA STRANA - Mitglieds - viele von Hand eingespielte Instrumente (in der Mehrzahl nicht-elektronisch) werden zu fliessenden Stücken verwebt, ohne dass die konkrete Präsenz einzelner Details verlorengeht.
"The seventh installment in Important’s Arts & Crafts series features a brand new, vinyl-only album from STEPHEN R. SMITH (HALA STRANA). In contrast to the more labored arrangements of Smith’s solo recordings, The Anchorite was recorded straight to stereo 2-track using three separate amplifiers and a combination of loops, tapes, and live performance. The record focuses on the nature of solitude and draws upon Popul Vuh, Arvo Part, and Medieval troubadour music. Packaged in hand-made linocut sleeves created, printed and signed and numbered by Smith." [press release]
"Finally, another vinyl only gem gets the cd reissue treatment, so all you sans turntable, can finally feast your ears on this amazing record from long time aQ fave Steven R. Smith (Thuja, Mirza, Hala Strana) and the rest of us who have been spinning this nonstop can get it on our iPods and listen to it even more! A total shoe-in for record of the week, in fact, the only reason we didn't make it ROTW first time around was because of its vinyl only status. But now that Root Strata has reissued this on disc...
Originally released as part of Important Records' "Arts & Crafts" series, this full length recording is everything longtime
Smith fans (like us!) have come to love. When the lp was first released, the label dropped names like Popol Vuh and Arvo Part, and
while we do hear some of that here, we also hear plenty of Nadja and Tim Hecker and Philip Jeck and that sort of foggy fuzzy dreamy drift.
The magic of Smith is that he creates those impossibly gauzy sound worlds without a computer or loads of processing, just a bizarre
arsenal of sound making implements and a dangerously deft hand. Fretted spike fiddle, fretted hurdy gurdy, psaltery, cello, xaphoon,
bombard, ney, bouzouki, glockenspiel, organ, hand drum, cymbal, shaker, noah bells, tambourine, kaen, melodica, electric guitar
mandolute and tapes are all woven into a rich and washed out soundscape of wheezing melancholy melodies, thick slabs of distorted
guitar crumble, haunting simple strums, thick low end reverberations all wrapped up in a dense sonic fog. Some ancient otherworld observed through old photographs or a dusty old oracle. As thick and dense as it is washed out and dreamy. Fans of the current crop of
dronedoomdirge might just dig this as well, although it’s much prettier and soft than all that. But still plenty dark and enigmatic,
lovely and mysterious.
Features all new artwork, a super striking black and white offset printed gatefold sleeve. And like the lp version, EXTREMELY LIMITED!! Only 500 copies!!!" [Aquarius Rec]
www.rootstrata.com
"The seventh installment in Important’s Arts & Crafts series features a brand new, vinyl-only album from STEPHEN R. SMITH (HALA STRANA). In contrast to the more labored arrangements of Smith’s solo recordings, The Anchorite was recorded straight to stereo 2-track using three separate amplifiers and a combination of loops, tapes, and live performance. The record focuses on the nature of solitude and draws upon Popul Vuh, Arvo Part, and Medieval troubadour music. Packaged in hand-made linocut sleeves created, printed and signed and numbered by Smith." [press release]
"Finally, another vinyl only gem gets the cd reissue treatment, so all you sans turntable, can finally feast your ears on this amazing record from long time aQ fave Steven R. Smith (Thuja, Mirza, Hala Strana) and the rest of us who have been spinning this nonstop can get it on our iPods and listen to it even more! A total shoe-in for record of the week, in fact, the only reason we didn't make it ROTW first time around was because of its vinyl only status. But now that Root Strata has reissued this on disc...
Originally released as part of Important Records' "Arts & Crafts" series, this full length recording is everything longtime
Smith fans (like us!) have come to love. When the lp was first released, the label dropped names like Popol Vuh and Arvo Part, and
while we do hear some of that here, we also hear plenty of Nadja and Tim Hecker and Philip Jeck and that sort of foggy fuzzy dreamy drift.
The magic of Smith is that he creates those impossibly gauzy sound worlds without a computer or loads of processing, just a bizarre
arsenal of sound making implements and a dangerously deft hand. Fretted spike fiddle, fretted hurdy gurdy, psaltery, cello, xaphoon,
bombard, ney, bouzouki, glockenspiel, organ, hand drum, cymbal, shaker, noah bells, tambourine, kaen, melodica, electric guitar
mandolute and tapes are all woven into a rich and washed out soundscape of wheezing melancholy melodies, thick slabs of distorted
guitar crumble, haunting simple strums, thick low end reverberations all wrapped up in a dense sonic fog. Some ancient otherworld observed through old photographs or a dusty old oracle. As thick and dense as it is washed out and dreamy. Fans of the current crop of
dronedoomdirge might just dig this as well, although it’s much prettier and soft than all that. But still plenty dark and enigmatic,
lovely and mysterious.
Features all new artwork, a super striking black and white offset printed gatefold sleeve. And like the lp version, EXTREMELY LIMITED!! Only 500 copies!!!" [Aquarius Rec]
www.rootstrata.com